How to wind me right up....Lesson 1

CB · Post by CB » Wed May 14, 2003 11:14 am

As some of you may recall, on May 12th some stupid Merc driver smaked into the offside front portion of my car. After 3 WEEKS waiting for estimates, I finally got the repairs authorised at a body shop about 10 miles from where i live. My car was booked in for Monday (3 days ago). On Saturday I got a call from the garage saying that they had been fixing some womans old banger on the Friday and she told them she wouldn't be able to drop their one and only (????) courtesy car off until Monday pm. So I rescheduled for Tuesday. On Monday night got a call from the garage again to say car hadn't come in and they would phone me as soon as it had. On Tuesday morning just before mid-day i phoned the garage to be told the woman hadn't been in to drop off the courtesy car. Waited in vain for a call all day yesterday. Nothing. Just phoned garage (its now Wednesday mid-morning) to be told STILL no sign of the woman and the courtesy car! AAARRRGGGHHH This is beginning to ruin my week. What kind of Mickey Mouse outfit are they running? Why not go round the womans house in her old banger and demand their car back? Shes not daft - shes been driving a new car around for nearly a week now!

:x

A totaly unimpressed CB

tonymag · Post by **tonymag** » Thu May 15, 2003 9:47 am

gotta give the old lady her dues , cheap car rental

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Thu May 15, 2003 1:28 pm

hmm not a bad scam, a new car for an old banger, its probably either in a thousand parts now or in a crate to China.

CB · Post by CB » Thu May 15, 2003 1:56 pm

STILL heard nothing!!! Its now Thursday lunchtime! Any of you "legal experts" know where i stand on this? I didn't want to use this cowboy body repair shop in the first place, it was the insurance companies choice (Cheap and cheerful - what a surprise!) Can i demand to take it to my choice of garage? Any chance i can get off paying the Â£150 excess? All ideas appreciated...

CB

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Thu May 15, 2003 2:12 pm

STILL heard nothing!!! Its now Thursday lunchtime! Any of you "legal experts" know where i stand on this? I didn't want to use this cowboy body repair shop in the first place, it was the insurance companies choice (Cheap and cheerful - what a surprise!) Can i demand to take it to my choice of garage? Any chance i can get off paying the Â£150 excess? All ideas appreciated...

CB

No problem, fax the insurance company explaining all your problems despite your best efforts and ask for them to accept the next best quote in the circumstances, even insurance companies are sometimes human.

CB · Post by CB » Thu May 15, 2003 2:15 pm

Yeah right! This is Forces Direct I'm dealing with! They'll probably get the MP's to lock me up in the glasshouse in Colchester before giving me a dishonourable discharge for insurance fraud!!!

MattB · Post by **MattB** » Thu May 15, 2003 2:15 pm

Firstly, phone the garage and say that if they don't get you a courtesy car within the next 24 hours you'll be going elsewhere and you will be notifying your insurers that the garage is not fit to be on the insurance company's records.

Then tell your insurance company that you are NOT taking your car there, full stop. Don't let them talk you round. Demand a REPUTABLE bodyshop - if your insurance company is half decent (OK so that doesn't sound possible!!!!) they will be able to refer you to a decent place, sometimes even one of your choice if it's a major garage/dealership (my mum was told to take her car to a local bodyshop but she refused because she'd heard bad stories about them. Her insurance company sent a man out to check out the garage she said she'd like to take it to, and the insurance company agreed.)

At the end of the day, just be a complete git to the insurance company. They charge you a fortue for the privilege of driving your own car, so demand the best & get arsey & ratty if you don't get it!!![/list]

Pauline · Post by **Pauline** » Thu May 15, 2003 8:25 pm

Has the merc driver admitted full liability?

In which case... yes you'll get your excess back but from the other insurers so it can take a while, and I'd have thought you could insist it's repaired at a rover dealer (did I say rover?

)

I got my excess back and I said to Direct Line that I wanted it fixed by Pug so that's what direct line arranged... although sometimes I wish I hadn't used the bunch I used

I found still more masking tape yesterday

Your insurance company should be on your side fighting against the other insurance company...?????/

If he hasn't admitted liability, then it's a scrap until blame is established (even if it's 50:50 or 80:20).

OH! Also, my prang hasn't affected my insurance - I still tell both bike and car insurers and they say, as the claim was fully recovered from the third party, it doesn't affect me

CB · Post by CB » Thu May 15, 2003 8:37 pm

Update: Phone insurance company just after dinner and was told AGAIN they had no courtesy car...so i told them they had one hour to sort it out, or i'd contact my insurance and try and get them struck off as "reputable dealers"...tune changed immediately. Within 30 mins the boss man phoned, and he personally dropped a car off at my work for me 2 hours later all apologetic. Nice too...

1.9tdi 130bhp VW Passat on a 52 plate. Shifts quite well! (waits for Robbie and Paul to come and slag it off!)

MattB · Post by **MattB** » Thu May 15, 2003 9:59 pm

Yay! Well done...

It's a shame but you gotta be nasty to such companies these days to get anything sorted.

CB · Post by CB » Thu May 15, 2003 11:41 pm

You got that right...
Thanks for the tips and advice though people...much appreciated.

RTF · Post by **RTF** » Fri May 16, 2003 1:12 am

Didn't you also mention The B-52 being ready for take-off...